PH spends P14M for PNoy’s APEC, ASEAN meetings

By Michael T. Esmino

Managing Editor

The government has earmarked P14.3 million for President Benigno S. Aquino III’s participation in two key regional summits in Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam from October 6 to 10, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Sunday.

President Aquino left on October 6, for Bali, Indonesia via a chartered flight. He was accompanied by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Cabinet Secretary to the President Jose Rene Almendras, Presidential Management Staff head Julia Andrea Abad, PCDSPO Secretary Ramon Carandang and Presidential Protocol chief Celia Anna Feria. Indonesia is the President’s first stop for a series of meetings in the next five days.

Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario, who flew earlier to Indonesia, is meeting the Philippine delegation in Bali for the 21^st APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM) and the APEC CEO Summit to be held on October 6 to 8. Del Rosario will also join the President in the 23^rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings to be held on October 9 and 10 in Brunei Darussalam.

The expenses cover transportation, accommodation, food and equipment, among other requirements, for the President and his 84-member official delegation.

“President Aquino is expected to share a number of Philippine initiatives during the scheduled meetings in Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam,” Ochoa said.

“Some of these will be on the areas of environmental protection and climate change mitigation, food security, women and the economy, infrastructure investment, among others. Our President is also expected to press for the need to strengthen cooperation in cross-border education and skills training to bolster development of human resources amid economic growth,” Ochoa added

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the President will attend the APEC CEO Summit as a panelist on the session on inclusive growth together with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of Thailand and President Ollanta Humala of Peru. The APEC CEO Summit, considered a premier business event, is attended by distinguished global CEOs from throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

The DFA also said President Aquino will meet with members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and counterparts from the other 20 member-economies of APEC to discuss issues of mutual concerns, particularly on the promotion of trade liberalization and facilitation, economic technical cooperation and people-to-people connectivity.

In Brunei, President Aquino will take part in the 23^rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, where he is expected to attend at least nine different meetings between the ASEAN and Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, the United States and the United Nations, among others, according to the DFA.

The Chief Executive will also attend the Gala Dinner to be hosted by His Royal Highness Sultan Bolkiah on October 9, as well as the closing ceremony and the handover of the ASEAN Chairmanship of Brunei to Myanmar at the end of the Summit, the DFA added.